7 days ago
Boss sparks outrage with 'absurd' texts to an employee on their holiday: 'This is beyond inappropriate'
A boss has been slammed online for attempting to cancel an employee's approved annual leave after the worker had already arrived at their destination.
The text exchange, shared on British career expert Ben Askins ' TikTok account, has gone viral and sparked fierce debate about workplace boundaries and power abuse.
In the messages, the boss contacted the employee late in the week with a blunt message: 'Hey, I am sorry to do this so late, but there has been a mistake with the annual leave and I am going to have to cancel the second half of your annual leave this week. You will need to be in the office Thursday and Friday.'
The stunned employee replied, 'Huh? But I am already in Mexico?'
Unfazed, the manager continued: 'Sorry, like I said, there is nothing I can do. I am going to update the system now saying you will be in.'
The employee made it clear this wasn't possible: 'But I won't be in? I am literally in another country, there is no scenario where I can make it back in time.'
Incredibly, the boss doubled down and suggested a new flight.
'You will have to move your flights around. I have just checked and there is one on Wednesday evening that you can get.'
A boss has been slammed online for attempting to cancel an employee's approved annual leave after the worker had already arrived at their destination
The employee, increasingly frustrated, asked: 'This is a joke right? You aren't seriously asking me this?'
The response was serious: 'Definitely not a joke. And I am not asking, I am telling you the situation. I appreciate it isn't ideal but too many people are off Thursday and Friday and so you are going to have to be back here by then. I have updated the system.'
At that point, the employee shut it down: 'You can do what you want. Even if I wanted to come back in time (which I can't), I wouldn't, and if you push this I will be reporting this.'
Ben Askins, who regularly posts workplace advice to his large TikTok following, was stunned by the boss's behaviour.
In his video, he told viewers the demand was 'completely out of order' and reminded workers that annual leave, once approved, is a right, not something that can be taken away at a manager's convenience.
He pointed out the absurdity of the situation, saying it was not the employee's job to solve rota mistakes made by management.
Instead of trying to drag a worker back from their holiday, the company should have looked for a contractor or a temporary solution.
The video struck a nerve with thousands of viewers, many of whom shared their own workplace horror stories in the comments.
The text exchange, shared on British career expert Ben Askins' TikTok account, has gone viral and sparked fierce debate about workplace boundaries and power abuse
One person said they would only consider returning under one condition: 'Pay for my flights, reimburse my holiday in full and book me another holiday where you won't disturb me - and we have a deal.'
Others couldn't believe the employee even replied.
'Their first mistake is replying. No signal in Mexico,' one viewer joked.
Another added, 'Why do people reply when on holiday? I would just leave it unread.'
One user recalled being in Dubai for their brother's wedding when the assistant manager of a German supermarket demanded they fly home for a four-hour shift - or face disciplinary action.
Another explained how they're expected to check the work roster daily, even on scheduled days off, or risk being written up if it changes without notice.
Others shared stories of their leave being cancelled due to staffing changes, with one employee billing HR for their pre-booked trip after cover fell through - and receiving only a snarky 'have a nice trip' in response.
While the texts in question came from the UK, similar workplace protections exist in Australia.
Once leave is approved and commenced, cancelling it without mutual agreement is generally considered unlawful.
The incident has sparked broader conversations around toxic management, poor planning, and the erosion of work-life boundaries.
Commenters were quick to express their frustration with bosses who treat employees as if they are on call around the clock.
In the words of one viewer: 'I actually genuinely hate bosses and managers who think they own you simply because you work for a company. It's sickening.'
Askins echoed those sentiments and urged employees to know their rights.
He said the boss in this case didn't just mishandle the situation - they trampled over basic employment standards and common sense.
For many watching online, the story wasn't just about one bad manager.
It became a symbol of the creeping expectation that workers should sacrifice personal time for jobs that offer little in return, even when they're halfway across the world.
